The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

I read this book in October which is usually the time of year I try to branch out into thrillers (not usually a genre I pick up naturally) and this book certainly fit the bill. 

This is something of a locked room mystery as five aspiring writers are invited to a famously reclusive author's home. There is no cell reception, no WiFi, and the closest building is a nunnery miles away. Of course, as they approach, there is a snowstorm.

But who cares? Though our first person narrator, Alex, is somewhat thrown off, some of that might be due to the fact that her former best friend, Wren, who has also been invited. Something happened between the two of them; actually, two somethings that caused their friendship to fracture. That is unpacked as they spend time at Roza Valo's house. 

This is not the spa-type of retreat though. Roza's methods for helping these writers to write are... unorthodox. If you've read "Nine Perfect Strangers," you may be able to draw some comparisons between her and Masha in terms of pushing boundaries. Like that book, some of the characters are not who they seem and that may cause some further issues.    

Three and a half stars

This book came out February 21, 2023

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker

I would swear I've read this book before but I didn't record it so... but it's a nice reflection on noticing. Walker starts with the eyes, moves to the nose and ears, then explores going out, meeting others, and then being alone. Each chapter has short recommendations with examples of how to do that specific thing and a rating of how hard it might be. Some of the things recommended include looking up, looking at everything in a museum that ISN'T art (as labeled), listening for one particular sound, eating someplace you normally wouldn't, talking to a stranger, describing the night sky.

In a world that is increasingly taken up with microseconds of entertainment, this book teaches us how to relax and refocus our minds on just seeing the world around us. It does get a little tedious and is probably better picked up and put down often (you'd better able to practice), but an overall enjoyable read. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 1, 2019

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor

Gracie grew up in a household where hockey was all. She's a good enough cellist that she's in a symphony and teaches students but her brother's hockey playing meant that her parents were always missing her big days because they were at her brother's practice or games.

Her neighbor Felix? He's a minor league hockey player. Handsome as all get out, a good cook, knows his classical music but Gracie isn't interested. Until her pipes break and she needs a place to stay. As her landlord (did he not tell her that yet?), Felix wants to make sure she has a place to stay. And that time together might mean that Felix finally has a chance to get to know his gorgeous neighbor and she might have a chance to look beyond his sport. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 12, 2023

ARC kindly provided by JPC Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Good Day to Pie by Misha Popp

I didn't read the first book in this series but didn't feel like I missed much other than the fact that I was vaguely surprised that there was magic in this book. 

Another mystery riff on the Great British Bake off, this time Daisy is a baker but she has a side business killing bad men by infusing her pies with magic. She finds her customers on the dark web. It seems like she has a significant other (couldn't tell if he knew about her side business) and a partner who does know. 

The story proceeds along as the show does, with the different bakes. It's just too bad that it turns out that Daisy's latest target is one of her judges. It's also too bad that one of the contestants ends up dead. And there's another body that shows up before the end of the story.

I liked this book well enough though the ending was a little bit more complicated than I thought it needed to be. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out February 7, 2023

Follows Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies

Followed by The Last to Pie

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

A Burglary In Belgravia by Lynda Wilcox

Lady Eleanor Bakewell is out for a fun night at the theater but she is the only one who hears a loud noise. When she goes to see what is going on, she discovers a dead body, Sir David Bristol. Sir David is a socialist who ran one of the leading papers in London. He is also the benefactor of the play and a man known for his many, many, many relationships. His current relationship is with the star of the play that Lady Eleanor came to see with her friend. 

There is some character growth in this book though not a lot. The mystery was a little convoluted with Eleanor being hired by a lady to find her pearl necklace and the murder being mixed in with some jewel robberies. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out November 2, 2019

Follows a Poisoning in Piccadilly

Followed by A Traitor at Tower Bridge

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

Can one moment change your life? Melody and Beat are struggling with that question. They met, briefly, when they were teenagers. Each the child of a famous duo that broke up just before they were born. It was at that moment that a spark was formed but neither ever followed up on it. Now, there is a producer hounding them to star in a reality show, one that will bring their mothers back together. 

I guess I didn't quite realize from the description that the two of them would be in a reality competition. Public-facing romances are not my favorite so I had a little bit of difficulty connecting to this book. Even if I didn't quite connect with the premise, I still enjoyed the writing. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 3, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Miss Flibbertigibbet and the Barbarian by Stephanie Laurens

Nicholas Cynster is looking for a horse, a specific horse, one with the sobriquet Barbarian. It has been spotted at Ainsby Grange so he heads over. His introduction to the Sommervilles is helping the younger set take down their flour balloon bombs. A little odd but it smooths his introduction to Lady Adrianna. And that is good because she is going to be the one he is dealing with in the sale of the horse as her father is... not well and her mother is spending all of her time with him. 

Addie doesn't understand the feelings she's having around this man but, when the horse disappears, she's going to have more time to figure it out as the two will be working together to figure out where the horse has gone. 

I appreciated the fact that the obvious ending (at least if you're a regular Laurens reader) was actually subverted in a way I don't remember her ever doing anymore. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out March 16, 2023

Follows The Time for Love

Followed by Miss Prim and the Duke of Wylde

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Happiness Plan by Susan Mallery

Daphne, Heather, and Tori are friends but are in different places in their lives, dealing with different difficulties. Daphne wants to have a baby but her husband is reluctant and is throwing in her face her friends hip with a guy from work. But it's not an affair like he said. Heather broke up with her last boyfriend because she could never love him, but then why is she so jealous of his new relationship? To make her emotional state even harder, she's reconnecting with her father who left when she was a child. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out June 20, 2023

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my

Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder by Catherine Lloyd

Caroline was disappointed by love when her father killed himself in disgrace. She broke off her engagement (her fiance didn't protest much) and became a lady's companion. Now her aunt wants her to come "home" for her cousin's come out ball. Caroline insists that her boss be allowed to come and bring her daughter as well. They are merchants so the daughter,  Dorothy, will have a great fortune and she is also pretty so she could potentially marry well. Her manner needs some work but she is presentable.

Caroline's cousin, Mabel, has insisted that a motley group be invited to her ball including many of the orphans that her parents took in. But strange things are happening. First, the butler is locked in the basement. Then Caroline's great aunt is murdered and her aunt and uncle refuse to acknowledge that anything is amiss.

The solution was a bit convoluted but I did enjoy most of the story.

Three and a half stars
This book came out May 31, 2022

Followed by Miss Morton and the Spirits of the Underworld

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

Saffron Everleigh is a researcher at the University College of London. She is trying to navigate through a world changed by WWI and one that is not generally open to young ladies. This includes navigating overtures and gossip. What it doesn't normally contain is attempted murder.

With the rest of the faculty in her department, Saffron is invited to a dinner party. She is not worried about how to behave (there are some allusions to wealthy grandparents) but she is worried about encountering the department head who tried to attack her. Everyone is gathered to talk about a new expedition that will be taking place shortly. That doesn't mean there isn't some intrigue as various people melt out to balconys or find places for a rendezvous. Saffron almost finds herself in a sticky situation when she accidentally meets Alexander Ashton, a researcher she just met, in a darkened hallway. They are almost discovered by Mrs. Henry: her husband is leading the expedition and she is the person who is poisoned later in the evening. 

Saffron probably wouldn't have gotten involved but the police have arrested her mentor and father figure Dr. Maxwell. She decides to mount an investigation of her own that may or may not end up putting her in a precarious situation. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out June 7, 2022

Followed by A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan

Three friends have had a book club since their college days. Now (cough) somewhat older, all three are finding themselves at a crossroads. Erica has just discovered something about the father who deserted her when she was just days old; Claudia has lost her job and her boyfriend; Anna's twins are about to leave home and she's not sure what she's going to do with them gone. The three decide that they are going to have their book club anyway 

Hattie, the owner of the hotel is also at something of a crossroads. Her husband, the one who was the driving force behind the Maple Sugar Inn, died two years ago. Now, she's just trying to keep up with extravagant customer requests, her temperamental head chef, and the housekeeper who treats her as though Hattie is an idiot. Someone who doesn't treat her like an idiot? Her next-door neighbor. The one who kissed her at Halloween. Could there be something there? Should she even try?

A lot comes out this Christmas season, some of it surprising, but all of it leaving these ladies in a better spot than they were when they arrived at the inn.

Four stars

This book comes out September 19, 2023

ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Life in Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin

If you are used to listening to Rubin's podcast, listening to her in a longer format is rather odd. A lot of the ideas in this book are discussed on her show. She talks about how she spent time exploring each of her five senses. Is any of it groundbreaking? Maybe not. But it is grounding and a good reminder that we all need to remember not to neglect any of our senses. Instead, we should remember each of these senses and to care for them as well. We can use our senses to indulge in healthy ways. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out April 18, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston

Alexei Vasiliev is dead. He made escape rooms in life and has one last, grand puzzle left for after his death. The first three chapters introduce the first three players: Henry Hall who is in solitary, a former cop kept separate from the general population; Joy Reese is a movie star and Alexei's widow; Dr. Oscar Evans is an epidemiologist who has been ignoring the signs of his own cancer. Oh, and Henry has a handler named Atkins who doesn't seem to fit in his own skin. These three (four?) come together and solve the first puzzle which gets them the option to either keep playing or to leave the house. All continue to play where they are joined by Dr. Rudyard Thomas, an associate professor of archeology. As they wait, Joy notices a timer counting down and the five of them witness a devastating act which leads to a sixth member joining them, Ileana Athanasiou, a politician. 

I really liked the first three quarters of this book and there were hints about what the end was going to be but it still felt a little like a hard left turn. I think other people would enjoy this book more but I am just grateful that I finished it during the daylight hours. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out September 15, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Montana Sky by Nora Roberts

Willa Mercy didn't grow up with her two half sisters but now they're all together for their father's funeral. She's the only one who grew up on the ranch so she's astonished to learn that the ranch has been left to all of them equally as long as they all stay for a year. None of them are excited about that thought.

Tess is a Hollywood screenwriter so she is, of course, not excited to stay. But the family lawyer, Nate Torrence, a long drink of water, is making her rethink that stance.

Third sister, Lily, is glad to be at the ranch for the year as she is running from her abusive ex-husband. She's finding herself falling in love with Willa's (maternal) half brother, Adam.

I did read this book when it came out but think it held up fairly well. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out March 12, 1996

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own

Full Moon Over Freedom by Angelina M. Lopez

In the first book of this series, Gillian Armstead-Bancroft seemingly had the perfect life with her husband and two children. But cracks were beginning to show and we see them emerge in this book. She is battling her husband through a contentious divorce (he is using the children as weapons), she can't seem to get hired, and her skills as a bruja aren't working the way they should. So what does she decide to do? Try and turn her life around by doing the opposite. While driving in her friend's car, she nearly runs down a man and discovers it's Nicky Mendoza, the boy she had a sexual relationship with in high school. 

Nicky is ecstatic to see Gillian again but only barely manages to evade her advances. She doesn't know how much she hurt him when she left. It certainly will be an interesting summer having her be working on the grant that brought him (famous mural painter) back to town to help revitalize Milagro Street. 

A little bit slower than the other book, I actually enjoyed this one more because Nicky and Gillian had the history so we got to see more of their relationship. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out September 5, 2023

Follows After Hours on Milagro Street

ARC kindly provided by Harlequin and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers

It is not in dispute that General Fentiman is dead. It's a sad thing. And on Armistice Day, too. The problem arises from whether or not he predeceased his sister. At stake? Half a million pounds. Lord Peter Wimsey is among the people who found the old man and he noticed something strange about the body. But what does it mean? And is that the only thing that is going to make this case complicated?

Lots of British culture included in this story. Lord Peter is a fantastic character to begin with but this book really paints a picture of what it was like to live in England following the first World War. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out in 1928

Follows Unnatural Death

Followed by Strong Poison

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

In Charm's Way by Lana Harper

I wasn't especially in love with the last book but I did enjoy this one. There is a lot more in this book about Delilah's personal journey than building a romance and the ending was a little convoluted but overall an enjoyable book. 

Delilah Harlow is still recovering from the events of the last book when she had her brain pretty much scrambled. When the book opens, she is driven to desperation and she tries a spell from a book that she normally would never touch. But she just wants to have her own mind back. Too bad this particular spell makes her a beacon to all of the creepy-crawlies that normally pass Thistle Grove by. 

Into town strides a champion, Catriona Quinn, whose name is just a little too much on the nose. Her mother did that on purpose but it doesn't mean she loves it. She steps into the hero role, even though her armor is a little tarnished. 

The Witches of Thistle Grove #4

Three and half stars

This book comes out August 22, 2023

Follows Back in a Spell

Followed by Rise and Divine

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

This book was hard to follow because there are so many characters. I wondered if that was because I was listening as an audiobook but I read the follow up novella and it is a little hard either way. The idea is that two lawyers are reading emails after a specific crime and they are trying to figure out what actually happened. Even the reader doesn't actually know who got murdered until we are well into the book as the Fairway Players exchange information about their upcoming play which is meant to raise money for a toddler with cancer. But there are a lot of doubts being sown about whether everyone is who they say they are, whether everyone's telling the truth, and whether everyone mentioned in the story will be alive at the end.

Three and a half stars 

This book came out January 4, 2021

Followed by The Christmas Appeal

Borrowed as audiobook from Library

Opinions are my own

Connections in Death by J.D. Robb

Eve Dallas has a friendship with former bouncer, now club owner, Crack. So she is astonished to see him at a Nadine Furst's housewarming party with a lovely woman at his side. She's even more surprised to find out that Roarke knows Dr. Rochelle Pickering. It seems she was a top contender to be running the new facility for homeless teens. Now that the first choice had to move, she is the choice. Dr. Pickering is delighted. As is her brother. A former gang member and drug abuser, Lyle knows better than anyone how hard life can treat you and having a home like this will give these children a leg up in the world. Three hours later, Lyle is dead. Supposedly of a drug overdose. But Eve smells a set up. Especially when she finds out that a former associate of Lyle's was seen outside his door just before he OD'd. The story takes her deep into the bowels of gang territory where a bid for power means one gang member trying to start a war.

This was an interesting In Death book because the murder doesn't actually happen until Chapter 4. Instead, we get a nice long introduction to a new character as well as catch up with many of the series favorites.I didn't feel like the gang war story line was well put together but it was overall a nice addition to the series.

Three and a half stars

This book came out February 5, 2019

Follows Leverage in Death

Followed by Vendetta in Death

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Reread August 2023

Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts

Declan Fitzgerald's family is decidedly northern, which makes it so strange that he's drawn to buy a

supposedly haunted plantation house. One where a a woman died many years ago, killed by her husband's twin. He's also drawn to Angelina Simone, local bar owner. She is mysterious and gypsy-like and she's drawn to him as well. They'll have to battle their own attractions as well as threats both parental and supernatural.

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 15, 2001

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own